Palestinian-Turkish Gezi victim 'condition improving'

ISTANBUL

DHA Photo

Turkish Lobna Allami, of Palestinian origin, is now in a better condition after a month of treatment that followed her injury at the Gezi Park intervention, where she was caught on camera trembling and wounded, becoming one of police intervention’s iconic pictures. 

Allami was injured on May 31 by a tear gas capsule thrown by police forces, and was taken to a TAksim hospital where she stayed in intensive care unit for over a month, undergoing two brain surgeries in the meantime. 

Allami now is able to stand by the help of her relatives, and is being fed liquid food, according to daily Hurriyet. She reportedly has no memory of the events, and is unable to speak. 

The brain damage caused by her injury will only be clear in the advanced stages of the treatment, according to doctors. 

By 8 p.m. on May 31 an estimated 100,000 people were in the Beyoğlu district, but police blocked roads leading to the square with barriers, trying to disperse the crowds with gas and water. 

In the coming hours, the protests quickly spread to other Istanbul districts, from Beşiktaş to Kadıköy, and other Turkish cities, such as Ankara and İzmir. At around 3 a.m. on June 1, hundreds started walking across the Bosphorus Bridge from Asia to the European side of the city.